On the Trot: Bolton Youth Called to Internationals

A team like Bolton Wanderers can, for the most part, expect a respite during international matches. The squad is mostly made up of either up-and-coming youth who have yet to prove themselves or aging talent nearing the end of their careers, neither of whom are prime candidates for internationals. That said, Bolton Wanderers do have a few players involved in Wednesday's round of friendlies, right before the start of the season. Adam Bogdan, Samuel Ricketts, Gregg Wylde, and Michael O'Halloran have all been given a call up.

Even before he had really established himself as #1 at Bolton, Adam Bogdan was starting for his country. He will continue that this week, as Hungary take on Israel in their own Puskas Stadium in Budapest. Reportedly, more than 10,000 tickets have already been sold for the event. Another relative veteran, Sam Ricketts is also a reliable call up for his team, Wales, so it's unsurprising that he was included in the squad to face Bosnia-Herzegovina. That match will take place at the Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli with a 7:45 GMT kick off.

However, Scottish U21 boys Gregg Wylde and Michael O'Halloran will be representing their country on Wednesday against the Belgium U21 side. The two will in all likelihood be facing former Bolton player Dedryck Boyata. Wylde had a word with the Scottish FA site about his preseason so far ahead of the match,

"I'm loving my football at the moment and feel fit. I've had a good pre-season playing against good opposition like Barcelona B and love joining up with the Scotland squad. I've settled well down in England but it wasn't easy at first. Meeting up with the Scotland players and having the banter at the hotel is always good."

"At Bolton, I'm learning about the defensive side of playing the game which is an important area in every position. I'm aiming to put in a good performance tomorrow night so I can go into the matches next month with confidence. Bolton is only two hours down the road but I enjoy coming back and playing for my country then catching up people."

Best of luck to all of our boys involved in friendlies on Wednesday!